Welcome to this week’s constituency newsletter for residents in Reading West and Mid Berkshire. In this week leading up to Remembrance Sunday, I was proud to lay a tribute in Parliament’s Remembrance Garden to commemorate all those from Reading West and Mid Berkshire who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the brave men and women who have fought for our country since then. Yesterday, I was delighted to visit and add some coins to the Turn Tilehurst Red giant poppy at The Triangle and on Sunday I am looking forward to attending Remembrance services in the constituency. I would like to thank Royal British Legion members, our Parish Councils and the organisers of Turn Tilehurst Red for their hard work in organising these events.
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Delivering decent homes for our Armed Forces As well as remembering those who gave their lives to protect our freedoms, this time of year is also an opportunity to pay tribute to those currently serving. I am proud to represent Armed Forces personnel and their families across Reading West and Mid Berkshire, including those living in 156 military family homes across the constituency. We rely on them more every day and the least they deserve in return is a decent home. So, I am delighted this week that the Government has announced a new Defence Housing Strategy which will see nine out of ten military homes across the country upgraded as well as the creation of a new Defence Housing Service, ending the scandal of unfit homes for those serving in the forces. This plan delivers on Labour’s manifesto commitment to back Britain’s Armed Forces community after years of underinvestment, and a failed privatisation of military housing, by the previous Conservative Government, which saw satisfaction with service accommodation at record lows – driving down morale and resulting in too many personnel leaving the forces altogether. That’s why after six months in office, Labour delivered a landmark buy-back, bringing 36,000 military homes into public ownership where they belong and saving the taxpayer £600,000 per day. Because we did this, we’re now able to fix forces housing and turbocharge housebuilding on Defence land, benefitting both the Armed Forces community and civilian families. What’s more, through a new ‘Forces First’ approach, veterans and serving personnel will receive a ‘first dibs’ purchase priority on these new homes, which will include some affordable homes. The outstanding men and women of our Armed Forces deserve homes fit for heroes – that’s what Labour will deliver. Creating a world leading National Curriculum After over a decade of Conservative neglect, during which young people were left unsupported without the essential qualifications or the skills needed to get on in life, I was thrilled earlier this week with the announcement of reforms to our national curriculum. The overhaul of the curriculum will ensure strong foundations in reading, writing, maths and oracy – especially in primary and the “lost years” at the start of secondary school. For the first time, children will be taught how to spot fake news and online disinformation, alongside financial literacy and civic education, preparing them for life in a fast-changing world. And, alongside academic reforms, the government is setting out a new core enrichment entitlement, so that every child – wherever they go to school – has access to sport, the arts and more. These reforms deliver on Labour’s manifesto promise and are central to the Prime Minister’s target of two-thirds of young people participating in higher-level learning by age 25. This Labour Government is supporting young people across Reading West and Mid Berkshire to gain the knowledge and skills they need to thrive. West Berkshire bin changes latest In the few weeks since West Berkshire Council moved to three weekly black bin collections, I’ve had reports from residents about overflowing bins, recycling containers not being sufficient, pavements being blocked on the days that all bins are collected, and an increase in incidents of fly tipping. The changes are clearly not working for residents and I will continue to press the leadership of the Council to think again. We’ve banned bonuses for polluting water company bosses At the General Election we said that we would ban bonuses for polluting water company bosses and that is what we have done. Providing leadership on climate action This week, both the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero attended the COP30 Climate Change Summit in Brazil and I am proud of the leadership role that they and the Government is playing to tackle climate change. Labour’s mission for clean power, alongside international climate action, is the route to lower bills and better lives for people today, as well as protecting future generations to come. And here in the UK we are delivering on the economic opportunity that clean power is offering – with over £50bn of private investment in clean energy since July 2024. Plus our mission for clean power will create 400,000 new jobs by 2030. Expanding the Warm Homes Discount I am really pleased that this week the Government announced an expansion of the Warm Homes Discount so an additional 2.7 million families will get £150 off their energy bills this winter. Every billpayer on means-tested benefits will now qualify for the discount, as a result of this Labour Government getting rid of the bureaucracy that prevented millions from accessing vital support. Our Warm Homes Plan will mean millions of homes will be warmer and cheaper to run. And we’re fixing the broken energy system by standing up for consumers on the issues that matter to them, including reforms on debt relief, back billing, smart meters, standing charges and prepayment meters. Date for your diary Meet Your MP, Calcot, 3.00pm to 4.00pm on Sunday 23 November If you live in Calcot or nearby and would like to come along for a chat with tea and biscuits between 3.00pm and 4.00pm, you can register here. My team will confirm the venue to those registered in advance of the event. Best wishes for the week ahead Olivia |